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Monday, 29 September 2014

Happy Monday, world. +Doris O'connor has taken over my blog today. I'll leave her to introduce her latest book, The Bear Treatment. Over to you, D...

***

Thanks so much for having me
here today with my new release The Bear Treatment.

How do you make a move on
your cousin’s best friend? That is my hero’s dilemma in the Bear Treatment. He
has known Louisa since she was knee high, but she has only ever given him the
death stare. Besides, his cousin would have had his pelt for a rug, had he
tried anything.

Then there is the small
matter of his being a shifter, and the whole council rules—not that they bother
with him much. His family are not precious pure bloods. In fact, most of his
side of the family can’t even shift anymore, their blood lines too diluted by
centuries of mating with humans.

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Welcome back to mid-week tease hosted by the lovely Sandra Bunino, where we share excerpts from our work-in-progress or published books.

This week I'm continuing with more from my current WIP, Riding Rebel, book 3 of the Essien trilogy. Last week you met Rita Dike. Now let me introduce you to Tony Essien. I'm sure a lot of you fans of the series will be glad to finally meet the elusive Tony. He is one bad-ass Essien. Don't say I didn't warn you. LOL

My inspiration for Tony Essien

This is a first draft and unedited. Enjoy.

***

Tony Essien stretched his body and rolled onto his side. His
arm hit a warm body and he peeled drowsy eyes open. Grey dawn light filtered
through the curtains and dappled a feminine form covered in bedding.

Screwing up his forehead, he studied her pretty face and
tried to remember her name.

Bukky? Rukky? Some name that ended with 'ky' or shit like
that anyway. He couldn't bring himself to care as his temples throbbed with a
dull ache. He massaged the sides of his head and sat up.

Traces of her makeup smudged the azure oxford pillow case, where her face had been pressed against it last night. Tresses of black hair spread out behind her.

Memories of last night replayed in his mind. Him yanking on
her hair while he fucked her doggy style on the mattress. Mehn, she'd been a
screamer, her moans had echoed off the walls and he'd stuffed her panties into her
mouth to muffle her cries of delight.

By the time he'd spilled into the condom, she'd come so many
times he'd stopped counting after the third time.

Some people would consider his sexual proclivities to be
debauched. He didn't care. At twenty five he was young and a long way from
settling down. And as long as there were women willing to take his brand of
pleasure, it shouldn’t matter.

Money solved everything, anyway. And Lagos girls would let
you do anything to them as long as they were well compensated in return. A handful
of zeroes added to numeral digits on a check guaranteed no one ever discussed
their encounters with him outside of the bedroom.

Swinging his legs over, his feet sank into the soft pile of
carpet and he stretched out before heading toward the ensuite bathroom,
navigating around the furniture in the still darkened room.

Time to dismiss this one. He didn't want her still in the
premises when the rest of his family awoke. Although he had his own self-contained
annex, he lived in the main Essien family estate, which meant he shared the
same gated entrances as his parents.

His brothers had moved out and bought their own homes but
his mother was reluctant to let him move out. So they'd compromised by
refitting the two-bed house which had previously been used as guest quarters
for him instead.

"Come back to bed, Tony."

The sultry invitation had him rotating his head to look
back.

Silver light from the window showed the girl leaning on her
right elbow, her other hand pushed down the blue sheets, revealing a slender
body of chocolate skin, dark nipples peeking at him in invitation. A coquettish
smile curled her full lips.

He pictured those lips wrapped around his dick and his half
awake erection turned to a full blown morning wood. He should take up her
invitation and return to bed. A glance at the bedside clock proved he still had
some time, if they were quick.

He racked his brain again for her name but it only
aggravated his headache.

Damn! Why couldn't
he remember her name?

"I have things to do this morning," he said in a
gruff voice, instead. His irritation hiked for some reason. It shouldn’t have
bothered him. It wasn't the first time he'd forgotten the name of a girl he'd
had sex with.

"Starting with this body. You should definitely do this
body."

She winked at him and he had to smile. She was forward.
Truthfully he liked his girls that way. He never liked second guessing what
they wanted.

But this morning it wasn't working. Perhaps, it was seeing
her in the cold light of day without the fuzzy influence of alcohol. She was
still pretty and she knew how to use her mouth.

But he had other priorities right now.

"I've already been there, done that," he replied
in half-amusement.

"Oh, come on Tony. I'll make it good for you. I'll let
you come in my mouth again. And it's still dark outside. We have time."

Did she just use the collective to describe both of them or
what they'd done?

"We? There is
no 'we'," he snapped, his annoyance rising because he'd thought about
inviting her into the shower.

But not now. Not if she thought there was more to them than
just sex. He couldn’t go there again. Couldn't let any girl think he wanted
more or could give more.

"I didn't mean—"

"I know what you meant. Get dressed," he ordered and
reached for the wall switch, turning on one of the lamps. Soft yellow
light filled the room. "Freddy will take you home or wherever you want to
go."

***
Well, what do you think? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment and don't forget to check out the other Mid-Week Teasers.
Happy Hump Day!

Sunday, 21 September 2014

Welcome to Sexy Snippets hosted by The Nuthouse Scribblers where writers share seven sentences from their work-in-progress or published book. Feel free to join us by signing up here.

My snippet comes from my WIP, Riding Rebel (Book 2 of The Essien Trilogy). It is still early days with this but there's some smexiness coming up. This is first draft and unedited so pardon any errors.

***
The revving of a motorbike had her turning her head to see who had arrived. Head obscured in a black helmet and wearing a black leather jacket and blue denim, the rider could've been any man.Surely it wouldn't be one of the actors auditioning for a part in the movie?A smirk curled the corner of her lips at the thought.
Gripping the handlebars with cool ease, the rider had a powerful presence as he pulled up to a spot. The ground beneath her gold ballerina shoes vibrated before he killed the engine and she felt the tremors between her thighs.
"Oh," a soft moan escaped her lips and she closed her eyes involuntarily.
***

Did you enjoy this? Leave me a comment and check out the other sexy snippets this week.
Have a fabulous Sunday!
Kiru xx

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Welcome back to mid-week tease hosted by the lovely Sandra Bunino. I had to take a break for a few weeks due to dealing with the start of new terms/schools for the older kids and of course having to deal with a new book release.

I'm glad to say things have settled down and I have my routine back and I'm writing again. With Making Scandal out now, I can focus on writing book 3 of the Essien Trilogy, Riding Rebel.

Genevieve Nnaji as Rita Dike

So this week, I bring you a teaser from the Riding Rebel WIP from the opening scene which introduces Rita, the female lead. I have to say she is inspired by Genevieve Nnaji, one of my favourite Nigerian actresses. This is unedited, so pardon any errors. Enjoy.

***

"Mr Petersen will see you now."

Heart-thumping heavily in her chest, Rita Dike straightened from
the wooden frame armchair and rubbed clammy palms down the sides of her black
trousers.

The secretary, Calista, who spoke to her, was a dark-skinned
girl not much older than her twenty-three years, dressed in black platform
stilettos, grey pencil skirt and black striped fitted white shirt, face made up
and blemish free, tresses of dark hair extensions almost to her rounded bottom.

How much do secretaries
earn? Rita stared with envy, lips slightly parted, as Calista manoeuvred
around her maple finished modular desk and sashayed across the red carpeted
floor.

Surely, the girl didn't earn that much more than she did. But
Rita had already done the mental mathematics and there was no way she could
afford the expensive hair extensions or designer shoes. Not with a mother in the
village and a university undergraduate sister who depended on her for financial
assistance.

Calista turned the metal door handle and pushed back the oak
slab. Rita swallowed the lump in her throat and shoved back worries about her
finances. The faint scent of tobacco reached her before she saw the occupant of
the massive modern white-walled office. A new concern churned her stomach.

Why had she been summoned to her boss's office? Not five
minutes into the start of her work day and she'd received a phone call from
Calista asking her to come up to the top floor.

Her tentative "Why?" had received a "You
don't ask why when the owner of Zen Media invites you to his office. If I were
you I would get up here, pronto."

Rita had abandoned her work and taken the elevator upstairs
immediately, anxiety knotting her stomach.

Now she stood at the threshold, sucking in regulated breaths
to keep the worry at bay.

"Good morning, sir," Rita said, hands gripped at
her back to hid the fact that they trembled.

She sucked in a sharp breath and walked further into the space,
cool air from the air-conditioner kissing her skin. The first time she'd heard Mr Petersen say her
name and surprisingly, he used the correct two-syllable 'de-kae' pronunciation
instead of the one-syllable 'dyke' that some other non-Nigerians used.

Then again he seemed to be more Nigerian than most, especially
since she'd read he'd been raised in South Africa. Like now, he looked almost
regal in a silver caftan and trousers with white embroidery around the collar
and edges as he strode across the room from the large beech desk to the cream
sofas at the other end.

Stacked beech wood shelves lined one wall. The other side
showing floor-to-ceiling tinted glass and a view of Lagos Island, the bustle of
the main commercial district and the Marina.

She hovered next to the sofa, hands held rigid in front of
her.

"Sit," he waved her to the chair before he relaxed
into one, legs and arms spread.

Obeying, she sat on the edge. She couldn't loosen up until
she knew the purpose of the meeting.

Calista lowered a tray of bottled water and two tall glasses
onto the beech wood coffee table and retreated.

"Help yourself to the drink," Mr Petersen said.
The sharp scrutiny of his gaze made her swallow hard.

Glad for the distraction of opening the metal cap and
pouring water into a glass, she said, "I hope there's no problem, sir.
Have I done something wrong?"

"Not at all," he replied in an even tone. "I
have a very important assignment for you. Are you up for it?"

Head snapped back, she stared at him, mouth agape. A rush of
excitement flowed through her body at the welcome words and she sat up
straight.

Her job as a junior reporter was currently no more than a
glorified clerk. When she had studied journalism she'd had dreams of travelling
the country and the world reporting on life altering events. Instead she was
stuck doing the occasional birthdays and obituaries for the Sun People
Newspapers.

Now, it looked like her fortunes could be changed.

"Of course, I'm ready, Sir. Anything you have for me, I
can do it?" she said, eagerness making her rush her words.

Surely it had to be something wonderful. He'd used the word
'important'. Perhaps some research into corrupt civil servants or some
investigative work on the spate of attacks and kidnappings from Boko Haram. The
possibilities were endless.

"You are going to help me take down the Essiens."

Copyright Kiru Taye 2014
***
I hope you enjoyed it. Leave me a comment and remember to check out the other Mid-Week Teasers.
Happy Hump Day!

Monday, 15 September 2014

Happy Monday, sweeties. Today, I have the lovely +Elyzabeth M. VaLey on my blog and we're chatting about writing, reading and her latest book, Bear Heart. Stop by and check out the interview and make her feel at home.

On to the interview...

Q1) Welcome to my blog, Elyzabeth. Please tell us a little about
yourself

Sure thing! I’m
American but I’ve been living in Madrid, Spain for most of life. I studied
journalism but sadly the industry isn’t doing too well, so I’m doing a career
change and going into ESL teaching here in Madrid. I have two dogs which I
adore, an almost 13 year old boxer and a 3 year old Labrador. They’re my
babies. *smile*

Q2) Madrid is a city I'd love to visit soon. It's interesting that lots of people end up changing careers from what they studied. Have you always wanted to be an
author?

Yes, except for
a short while in second grade in which (for some strange reason) I wanted to be
a judge, I have always wanted to write.

Monday, 8 September 2014

Happy Monday, people! Did you know I have a book out today? The second book in The Essien Trilogy is finally here. Thank you to my lovely editor +Zee Monodee and her help with tightening the story.

Making Scandal follows Mark Essien, the second Essien brother. As the middle son, you'd think his story would be simple to write. But he was a hard nut to crack at first. While he doesn't have "Felix's sentimentality," to use his own words, he displayed an emotional depth that I found surprising and refreshing too. He is a man who thinks he has everything, until he meets Faith.

Faith Brown is a strong character. She's had to be to get to where she is in a very male-dominated environment. But beneath the hard shell, she is also vulnerable. She is a woman who doesn't want anything, that she hasn't merited. But in her heart, all she wants is to belong, to be part of a family.

Sassy, successful Faith Brown has earned her place in the boardroom
through hard work and sheer ambition. Making family is not on her agenda when
there are businesses to develop and competitors to outdo. So when a casual
affair with smooth and irresistible tycoon Mark Essien leads to an unplanned
pregnancy, she’s determined not to make the mistakes her mother made by living
with a man just for the sake of her child.

For Mark, personal matters have no place in the boardroom. Spotting the
perfect opportunity, he ruthlessly launches a takeover bid for Faith’s Investment
Brokerage firm. Finding out he’ll soon be a father, he knows he can’t let the
indomitable and sexy Faith go through with her plans of single parenthood. All
gloves are off. He’ll seduce her by any tactic necessary if it means his child
doesn’t suffer the same stigma he did as a child.

With the media dogging their affairs in the boardroom and the bedroom,
they find that making family is harder than making scandal.

She sucked in a
startled breath at the sight of a man standing underneath the archway leading
back to the dancehall.

Mark Essien.

His shoulder propped
against the wall in a casual manner, his legs crossed over at the ankles, and
his hand holding a smart phone which he shoved in his back pocket.

For a moment, she
stood there and just stared at him, lean and unquestionably sexy, in grey
pinstripe trousers and a black silk shirt, the sleeves rolled back over
forearms liberally spread with fine, dark hair, two buttons undone at the collar
so that she got a sneak peek of a muscular chest.

"Oh," she
said, her voice a little squeaky as her mouth suddenly dried out. "Hi...Where
you looking for the gents’ toilet? I think it’s on the other side of the hall."

She wasn’t even sure
why she was talking to him except that she suddenly couldn’t control her mouth.

"No. I don’t
need the gents’," he said, his voice low and disturbingly sensual, spiking
her nerves. "I was looking for you."

"Me?" Faith
couldn’t hide the surprise from her voice. What could he want with her?

"Yes...you,"
he agreed, with a smile that gave his words a disarming intimacy. "I think
we should both get out of here. You don’t want to be here any more than I do."

Faith blinked at the
rate of a machine gun and turned away to gather her thoughts.

Wumi wouldn’t be
pleased if she could hear him. She’d spent the whole day talking about meeting
up with him and then the entire evening following him around like a puppy.

"Admittedly—"
She swallowed to clear her throat and tried again. "—I'm tired and was
thinking of going up to my room. But we certainly don’t have to leave together."

Winged creatures
fluttered low in her belly as she struggled to believe he had come out here
especially to see her. For heaven’s sake, he didn’t appear the kind of man who’d
be interested in someone so ordinary. Attractive enough for a young woman, she
didn't have Wumi's runway-model body, or Stella's pretty face.

Warmth radiated
through her body and she couldn’t help smiling even as she shook her head. "I
think Wumi, your girlfriend—" She had to force the word out of her mouth.
"—and my friend, will have something to say about that, don’t you think?"

He rested his head
against the frame of the door for a moment, studying her with eyes that she now
saw were as dark as the midnight sky. Framed by thick, black lashes, they
caused a shivery feeling inside her.

Just her luck. The
first man she'd been attracted to in a very long time had to be involved with
her friend.

He straightened and moved
into the hallway.

Prey. She was being
stalked. Hunted.

The rush of blood
thundered in her ears,and her eyes
widened, half in apprehension, half with a sense of anticipation she’d never
felt before. Pull yourself together, Faith. There must have been way too much
vodka in her mixer.

CATCH UP ON THE OTHER ESSIEN TRILOGY BOOK
Keeping Secrets is 99cents /77pence for a limited time only

Have you ever loved someone and
didn’t even know it?

That’s the dilemma facing Felix
Essien when he wakes from a coma to find he is married to the most beautiful
and sensual woman he’s ever known. He cannot remember her or their wedding. He
who had sworn never to get married or to give his heart to another. Yet he
feels an intense bond with her that he intends to explore fully.

Ebony can’t believe her good
fortune when her paper husband wakes not remembering the temporary marriage
arrangement with no intimacies he’d proposed but is now the adoring husband
she’s always dreamt of. She plans to make the most of the passion blossoming between
them. However would he still feel that way when he regains his memory and
realises she’s been keeping secrets and their marriage is not what he thinks it
is.

I am running a contest during the book tour and giving away a $20
Gift card, one Making Scandal T-Shirt, one Essien Trilogy cap and a
signed copy of A Valentine Challenge. For your chance to win, complete
the rafflecopter entries. This contest is open internationally to
eligible entrants over 18 years or as applicable in their country of
residence.